Modular Water-Inflatable Flood Barrier with Interlocking Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temporary barriers, such as sandbag dikes, require significant labor and heavy materials for construction and disposal, and can be costly and time-consuming, especially when dealing with floods or other threats that necessitate rapid deployment and removal of barriers.
Innovation Solution
A portable, modular, water-inflatable barrier system composed of lightweight, flexible modules that can be easily transported, assembled, and filled with locally available water, featuring interlocking designs and protective coatings to maintain shape and resist punctures, allowing for flexible shaping and anchoring to prevent movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sandbag barriers are used for flood control, then the barrier can be constructed from inexpensive materials and adapted to arbitrary locations, but significant labor and heavy materials are required for construction and disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier is divided into modular sections that can be independently transported and assembled. Each module contains multiple cells that can be individually filled with water, allowing for rapid deployment without requiring manual filling of numerous individual bags.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier modules are inflated with water to create the protective structure. Water is pumped into the cells of each module, causing them to expand and form the barrier wall. This hydraulic inflation process replaces the manual labor of filling sandbags and provides rapid deployment capability.
2Reliability
If sandbag barriers are used, then the barrier can provide effective flood protection, but disposal becomes time consuming and costly after the threat subsides
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier modules can be easily deflated by draining the water and folded into compact configurations for storage or transport. The durable material allows for repeated use across multiple flood events, eliminating the need for disposal and providing rapid redeployment capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If sandbag barriers are constructed, then the barrier can be adapted to curved, angled, or shaped configurations, but heavy materials must be delivered to the construction site
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier system uses modular sections that can be transported in a deflated state and assembled at the construction site. Each module is lightweight when deflated but provides substantial protective mass when inflated, eliminating the need to transport heavy materials while maintaining the ability to create various barrier configurations.
4Stability of the object's composition
If sandbag barriers are used, then the barrier can hold in place during flood through weight and friction, but significant labor is required to fill and stack the bags
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier modules are designed to be self-supporting structures that maintain their shape and stability through their internal geometry and interlocking mechanisms. Once assembled and inflated, the modules support themselves without requiring continuous manual intervention or complex stacking procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
Water inflation provides both the protective mass and the stabilizing force for the barrier. The hydrostatic pressure of the water within the cells creates outward force that maintains the barrier's shape and provides friction against the ground, eliminating the need for manual stacking and positioning of heavy sandbags.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable, water-filled barrier system includes a plurality of water-fillable modules, each module being internally divided into cells that emulates a section of a sandbag dike or wall. The modules include a first plurality having a rectangular base shape and at least one wedge module having a triangular or trapezoidal shape. In embodiments, the wedge modules can be installed in a front-forward or front rear-ward orientation according to a desired bending direction of the barrier. Automatic valves can seal openings between the filled cells, so that a punctured cell will not cause cells below and behind to deflate. A manifold can be used to simultaneously fill a plurality of cells. A flexible sheet or a plurality of interlocking sheets can be installed beneath and in front of the assembled barrier so as to protect the barrier from damage and inhibit leakage of water under or between the cells.